The present invention relates to digital audio mixers having an effecter insertion function and methods thereof.
Heretofore, digital audio mixers (hereinafter also referred to simply as “digital mixers” or “mixers”) having an effecter insertion function have been known, which include a plurality of effecters incorporated therein, and in which an effecter selected from among the plurality of effecters is inserted into an insertion point on an audio signal path so that the inserted effecter can be used. Via an insertion managing screen, a user can select an insertion point in a desired channel and select an effecter to be inserted into the insertion point.
On the insertion managing screen of the known digital mixers, there is provided an “insertion button” operable to switch between inserting of an effecter into an insertion point and bypassing insertion, into an insertion point, of an effecter. More specifically, when the insertion button is ON, an effecter is inserted into the insertion point, while, when the insertion button is OFF, insertion of an effecter into the insertion point is bypassed so that the effecter is not inserted into the insertion point.
Further, in the conventionally-known digital mixers, an effecter ON/OFF button operable to switch between “enabling” and “disabling” of effect processing is provided on each of various operation screens pertaining to various effecters. More specifically, when the effecter ON/OFF button is ON, the effecter in question is enabled so that a sound effect is imparted by the effecter to an audio signal in the insertion point, while, when the effecter ON/OFF button is OFF, the effecter in question is disabled so that an audio signal in the insertion point is passed through the effecter without being imparted with a sound effect by the effecter (see, for example, Japanese Patent Nos. 4232703 and 4107243).
Further, there has been known a digital mixer having a “channel link function”. The channel link function is a function in accordance with which one channel link group is constituted by a plurality of desired channels and a desired parameter, such as an equalizer, compressor or fader, is caused to operate in an interlinked or interlocked fashion among or across the channels belonging to the channel link group (see, for example, Japanese Patent Application Laid-open Publication No. 2007-074110.
The conventionally-known channel link function is designed to interlink, among the channels, a parameter provided as standard in each of the channels, but it is not designed to interlink a parameter (e.g., effecter ON/OFF) among a plurality of effecters inserted in desired channels. Therefore, with the conventionally-known technique, the plurality of effecters inserted in the desired channels cannot be simultaneously turned on or off (i.e., set to an ON or OFF state) through just single user's operation.
For example, in some case, a particular acoustic effect (e.g., acoustic effect called “radio voice”) is created with a combination of a plurality of effecters. In order to switch between ON and OFF states of the particular acoustic effect, however, it has heretofore been necessary to perform ON/OFF switching operation separately for each of the plurality of effecters.
In view of the foregoing prior art problems, there is a need for an improved digital mixer that allows ON/OFF parameters of a plurality of effecters, inserted in a plurality of channels, to operate in an interlocked fashion across the channels. The present application addresses this need.